UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members in four states are heading toward a Jan. 1 network cliff, and the Medicare enrollment window that lets them change course closes Dec. 7. Providence hospitals in Oregon and Washington will be out of network for several UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans on that date, according to UnitedHealthcare’s Providence notice. Baptist Health in Arkansas and Lee Health in Florida are also set to leave the insurer’s networks if their talks fail.
The three systems are in different places. Providence’s exit from the Medicare Advantage plans is set, while Baptist Health says it is “unsure if we will reach an agreement prior to January 1,” and UnitedHealthcare says discussions with Lee Health are still going. A member in any of the four states has to work out which of those situations applies to their own doctors before December arrives.
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Which Providence hospitals leave the network?
Providence and Swedish facilities in both states are on the list. In Oregon, UnitedHealthcare names eight hospitals, including Providence Portland Medical Center, Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Providence Medford Hospital & Medical Center and Providence Seaside Hospital. In Washington it names 14, among them Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, Kadlec Regional Medical Center and several Swedish campuses.
The exit covers three kinds of UnitedHealthcare coverage: individual Medicare Advantage plans, group retiree plans and chronic condition special needs plans. Employer-sponsored commercial plans are not affected because UnitedHealthcare renewed its Providence contract for them, and Medicare Supplement plans are not affected either. Washington’s dual-eligible special needs plans are still in talks, and UnitedHealthcare says its goal is an agreement before Jan. 1.
UnitedHealthcare lists alternatives for members who need a new hospital. In Oregon they include Oregon Health & Science University, Adventist Health Portland and Tuality Healthcare, and in Washington they include MultiCare Health System, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, UW Medicine and EvergreenHealth.
Is Baptist Health really leaving Medicare Advantage too?
It may, and Baptist Health has told patients to plan as if it will. Its notice, updated Nov. 6, lists four UnitedHealthcare plans that were not renewed for 2027: UnitedHealthcare Complete Care (PPO C-SNP), AARP Medicare Advantage (HMO-POS), UnitedHealthcare Dual (PPO D-SNP) and AARP Medicare Advantage (PPO). The notice says all UnitedHealthcare plans are affected, and 2026 contracts stay in force through Dec. 31.
State of Arkansas and public school retirees in the UnitedHealthcare ARBenefits Group Medicare Advantage (PPO) plan are the exception and are not affected. Baptist Health also lists Aetna, Devoted, HealthSpring and Healthy Arkansas plans as out of network. Baptist Health lists Essence, BlueMedicare, Wellcare and Humana among the 2027 plans that keep its facilities in network. Patients can reach the system at 1-888-BAPTIST, and Baptist points to a free independent Medicare advisor, Chapter, at 855-219-2855.
Where do the Lee Health talks stand?
Lee Health, the Fort Myers system, told UnitedHealthcare in late August that it intends to leave the insurer’s commercial and Medicare Advantage networks. Lee Health said in an open letter that the two have “fundamentally different priorities,” Becker’s Hospital Review reported, and it alleged that UnitedHealthcare owes it more than $100 million in disputed and underpaid claims.
Lee Health also cites UnitedHealthcare’s authorization and review processes as slowing care, and it says about one-third of its medical necessity denials are tied to the insurer’s Medicare Advantage plans. A UnitedHealthcare spokesperson told Becker’s that none of those concerns had been raised with the insurer and that the company would use the roughly four months left on the contract to negotiate in good faith.
UnitedHealthcare says Lee Health gave no advance notice and that it delivered a proposal on Oct. 30 meant to keep long-term network access for Medicare Advantage members. Members keep access to Lee Health through Dec. 31. Lee Health tells patients they can check network status at LeeHealth.org or call 239-320-1234, WGCU reported.
What can a member still do before Dec. 7?
Baptist Health’s notice states that “Medicare’s Annual Open Enrollment closes on December 7, 2026.” Until then, a member can pick a plan that keeps their hospital and doctors in network for 2027, stay and pay out-of-network costs, or move to a different doctor. Baptist Health tells patients to keep scheduled 2026 appointments and procedures in the meantime.
Anyone in active treatment has a separate protection to ask about. UnitedHealthcare says members with a serious or complex condition, such as active cancer treatment or ongoing transplant services, may be able to keep seeing a Providence provider at in-network costs, and they apply by calling the number on their plan ID card. For Lee Health, members must apply and be approved, and the application window runs until 30 days after the provider leaves the network.
Emergencies are handled differently. UnitedHealthcare says care at the nearest hospital in an emergency is covered at the in-network benefit level even when the hospital is out of network. Members who are unsure which category they fall in can call the customer care number on the ID card before the open enrollment window shuts.
Will your hospital still be in network on Jan. 1?
A member who waits past Dec. 7 can find that Providence, Baptist Health or Lee Health no longer accepts the plan on Jan. 1. The Medicare Advantage open enrollment period does not start until Jan. 1 and covers only the year’s first three months.
The 2027 Medicare Open Enrollment Decision Kit includes a cost calculator spreadsheet that compares plans on cost, drugs and doctors, a provider call script and the Open Enrollment calendar. The Excel calculator puts your current plan next to the others so you keep, switch or wait with a written reason.
Get the plan calculator and doctor call script for the Dec. 7 switch →
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
David M. Keller is a finance writer based in Columbus, Ohio, covering personal finance and consumer-focused economic topics. He earned his degree in journalism from Ohio University and began his career reporting on local business and economic trends for a regional media outlet. Since then, he has contributed to a variety of online publications, focusing on clear, practical coverage of topics such as cost of living, debt, and everyday financial decision-making.
